Mystery of Love
David Gray Lyrics


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The city gates at twilight
And a red ship sinking
Behind winter's grey wall
Ice in the wind
But a fire in the embers
Of my heart
As darkness falls
In a candlelit room
Where your eyes are laughing
Smoking in the red chair
And nothing in the world
'Cept the beating of my heart
Against the nerves of the air

And I know there's a light
At the end of the tunnel
'Cause I taste it on your lips
And I feel a weight
That can bend me double
You lift it with your fingertips

So often it happens
That words prove useless
In the face of how it feels
So it is as the mystery of love
Keeps growing
The more my heart reveals

Temptations endless whispers
Try to keep it in perspective
So much to distract
Walking on a wire
While your juggling desire
It's all part of your balancing act

And it gets hard to know
Just what you believe
As the argument rages on
But for all of the talk
It's only true to say
That if you have no hope
There is none

A tangle of tongues
Flesh flowers and thistles
Of conscience, spittle and skin
We can't change the past
So we'll raise this cup to our lips
And drink it all in

And meantime back in civilisation
The rain is cold as steel
But the mystery of love
It just keep growing
The more my heart reveals

As sure as the rose
The bright day blooms
As surely still it fades
And the night kindles stars
On empty winds
And ghosts along the colonnades

And slow but sure
The sands are falling
As the bridge burns
Beneath the wheel
And the mystery of love
It just keeps growing




The more my heart reveals
The more my heart reveals

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Gray's song "Mystery Of Love" are full of vivid and emotive imagery that conjure up a sense of intense passion and desire. The song opens with a description of a twilight scene at the city gates, with a ship sinking into the sea behind a wall of grey winter ice. The contrast between the cold and dark external world and the warmth and fire that burns in the heart of the singer is clear. As darkness falls, he describes a candlelit room, where his lover's eyes are laughing and he feels the beating of his heart in the air.


The lyrics go on to explore the sensual and abstract aspects of love, with its mysteries and complexities. There is a sense of temptation and distraction as the singer walks on a wire, juggling desire and striving to balance his conflicting emotions. He acknowledges that words can be useless in expressing the intensity of the feelings that he has. Despite the difficulties and challenges that come with love, the singer believes that it is worth pursuing and holds out hope for a brighter future.


As the song progresses, the lyrics become more abstract and philosophical, with references to the passing of time and the metaphorical bridge burning beneath the wheel. There is a sense of inevitability to the changes that come with life, but also a recognition that love can transcend these changes and continue to grow and evolve.


Overall, the lyrics of "Mystery Of Love" explore the multifaceted and often complex nature of love, capturing both the passion and intensity of romantic attraction as well as the broader themes of hope, loss, and the passing of time.


Line by Line Meaning

The city gates at twilight
The start of the journey, as I wander through the city gates at twilight.


And a red ship sinking
Watching a red ship sink, perhaps as a symbol of the end of an era.


Behind winter's grey wall
The end of winter approaches.


Ice in the wind
The wind is cold and biting.


But a fire in the embers
Though it's winter, my heart still burns like embers.


Of my heart
This fire is the strength of my love.


As darkness falls
The night descends, but my love remains steadfast.


In a candlelit room
The intimate setting of a candlelit room.


Where your eyes are laughing
Your eyes shine with happiness.


Smoking in the red chair
I see you smoking in the red chair, enjoying the moment.


And nothing in the world
Nothing else in the world matters.


'Cept the beating of my heart
All I hear is my heart beating with love for you.


Against the nerves of the air
My feelings vibrate in the very air around us.


And I know there's a light
I have a sense of hopefulness.


At the end of the tunnel
No matter how hard things get, there is always hope.


'Cause I taste it on your lips
I feel it when I kiss you.


And I feel a weight
Sometimes I feel weighed down by life.


That can bend me double
It's overwhelming and hard to bear.


You lift it with your fingertips
You are my support and my strength.


So often it happens
Many times we face the difficulty of putting our feelings into words.


That words prove useless
Sometimes words are just not enough.


In the face of how it feels
Especially when strong emotions are involved.


So it is as the mystery of love
Love remains a mystery.


Keeps growing
But as we explore it further, our love continues to grow.


The more my heart reveals
The more I learn about myself and my love for you.


Temptations endless whispers
Distractions and temptations abound.


Try to keep it in perspective
I try to keep a level head.


So much to distract
There's so much going on.


Walking on a wire
It feels like I'm walking a tightrope.


While you're juggling desire
Balancing everything can be difficult.


It's all part of your balancing act
It's a delicate balance.


And it gets hard to know
It's hard to know what to believe sometimes.


Just what you believe
Especially when things are uncertain.


As the argument rages on
Arguments and disagreements can be exhausting.


But for all of the talk
Despite all the talking and debating,


It's only true to say
At the end of the day,


That if you have no hope
Without hope,


There is none
There is nothing left.


A tangle of tongues
Communication is often complicated.


Flesh flowers and thistles
Love is both beautiful and thorny.


Of conscience, spittle and skin
Our connection is made up of heart, mind, and body.


We can't change the past
We cannot undo what has already been done.


So we'll raise this cup to our lips
So let us drink to the present and enjoy it.


And drink it all in
Let's relish this moment, together.


And meantime back in civilisation
Meanwhile, in the busyness of everyday life,


The rain is cold as steel
The rain is cold and unrelenting.


But the mystery of love
Despite it all, the mystery of love persists.


It just keep growing
Love continues to flourish.


As surely still it fades
Just as flowers bloom and wither,


And the night kindles stars
Each night brings new beauty.


On empty winds
Even though the winds may be lonely.


And ghosts along the colonnades
Perhaps even ghosts and spirits join us in our journey.


And slow but sure
Time continues to move forward, inevitably.


The sands are falling
Like sand through an hourglass.


As the bridge burns
As relationships may crumble and fall apart,


Beneath the wheel
There is always hope for new beginnings.


It just keeps growing
The mystery of love continues to grow.


The more my heart reveals
As I continue to learn more about myself and the depths of my love.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Gray

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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